Decision to disband Scorpions linked to Zuma investigation ANC
The ANC's desire to disband the Scorpions was not totally divorced from the investigation of ANC President Jacob Zuma but the main reason the ANC had decided to close the unit was because of the manner in which it had conducted themselves, says Siphiwe Nyanda, ANC executive member, in a Cape Argus report.
Nyanda said the unit's faults included its dabbling in politics when its leadership was alleged to have met last year after the ANC June Policy Conference to decide on ways of convincing senior politicians to not disband the unit. Other black marks against the Scorpions, he said, included its intelligence-gathering attempts, which resulted in the now suspect Special Browse Report, and the unit's apparent decision to persecute equal numbers of former apartheid operatives and ANC cadres for war crimes. We don't think that the crimes that were committed by apartheid agents and the actions that were committed by the liberation soldiers can be compared, he said, adding that those fighting apartheid were carrying out a just war.
Full Cape Argus report (subscription needed)
Nyanda disputes public opinion is in favour of the Scorpions remaining as they are. In the So Many Questions feature in the Sunday Times, he said he contested the view expressed in polls run in newspapers that suggested the public was opposed to disbanding the Scorpions. It depends where the surveys are done, with which sections of the people ... He said there would be public hearings (by Parliament) to get the public view. Asked what would happen if a majority at the hearings opposes the move, he responded: Ive got to go into a meeting. You said 10 minutes. Its over 12 minutes now.
Sunday Times feature